Govt ‘must set clearer energy efficiency objectives’

MPs have said the government needs to set clearer objectives for its energy efficiency schemes.

This move would undoubtedly help those thinking about investing in energy efficiency technology such as solar panels. 

The Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) has published a report on the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation in which it said it was “disappointed that the minister was not able to give us a clear idea of what success would look like”. 

It underlined that despite the Green Deal launching at the end of January, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has only published figures showing how many assessments have been carried out. There have been no reports on how much work has actually taken place however. 

MPs on the ECCC said that it is “unacceptable that, three years into the life of this parliament, ministers are incapable of defining the actual goals of one of the coalition’s flagship policies”. 

A report from Low Carbon Communities News revealed that the ENDS Bulletin indicates that only around 100 people are paying back Green Deal loans, with just three paying through their electricity bills. 

This compares to the almost 19,000 homes that have been assessed.

Meanwhile, the ECCC says it will continue its ‘watching brief’ on the Green Deal. It has asked that the government publishes a range of information on the scheme, including how take up is split between individuals and organisations acting on their behalf like housing associations and local authorities. 

Tim Yeo, the chair of the committee and Conservative MP for South Suffolk, commented the committee’s role is to “hold government to account”. 

“But it’s impossible to do this if the government itself cannot explain precisely what it is hoping to achieve through its policies,” he added. 

“At a time when gas and electricity bills are on the rise, improving the energy efficiency of our homes could not be more important. 

“My committee therefore hopes that the Green Deal will be a success. It is only right that such a high profile policy is subject to proper scrutiny so that corrective measures can be put in place quickly if it is failing to deliver.”